Thursday, 1 October 2015

Pay TV Guide: Who offers the best deals?

For many years in Malaysia, a single pay TV service controlled the market. Offering what they claim to be better service, better channels and, most importantly, better deals, a few more are making their presence known in Malaysia pay TV industry.

Marketing brochures aren’t
the best place to get the truth as we know; so we decided to explore into the thrilling
world of pay TV to seek the truth who really gives you the best deals.

Astro Malaysia

Sources: Courtesy of Astro

Astro
is a direct broadcast satellite (DBS) Pay TV service that is well established
due to the fact of being the single provider in the market for so many years. Undoubtedly,
Astro have many packages and the varieties can occasionally make you cross-eyed
with confusion. Here are some of the packages offered by Astro:

Basic TV channels

It offers various packages; it
would cost you RM42.30 (inclusive of a 6% government tax) if you’re looking for
the most basic package which has 40 channels. An extra of RM32 would be charge for
additional prime packages, and mini packages cost RM9 although they would
encourage you to subscribe two mini packages. Let say you opt for one basic
package, one prime package and two mini packages, your bill can fetch up to
over RM90 easily. If you want HD channels that would be an additional of RM20,
and recording service (PVR) would cost another extra of RM30.

Existing packages such as the
Bundle Deals, Value Pack and Super Pack, the deal prices range from
RM51.95-RM133. Meanwhile, the value packs only include the HD service, however,
the Super Pack offers HD & PVR services, together with Astro on the Go and
Video on Demand.

TV, Broadband and Phone

Astro has also introduced Astro
IPTV where you can have internet and a phone line in one package. There are varieties
of prices to choose for as they come in various packages. For the Super Pack,
the TV packages prices range from RM133-RM155 with basic internet cost RM123.
The basic TV packages cost about RM39.95 and the rest cost around RM75, and its
basic internet starts from RM148. If you require additional home phone package,
you’ll need to add on another RM20-RM30. Select each one and you’ll get your
final price for your monthly subscription.

Let say you want the cheapest
package available, this is how it would cost you:

RM39.95 (TV) + RM148*
(Broadband) + RM20 = RM207.95

*Cheaper broadband price of
RM138 is available but you will have to choose a basic super package of RM133
at least.

Tip: You may want to take into
account the final price that will come up with an additional 6% tax.

HyppTV

Sources: Courtesy of
Telekom Malaysia

HyppTV has gradually risen in
popularity in the pay TV industry as it comes together with the broadband
service as more people using Unifi and Streamyx by TM. The great news is the
service also comes with an additional phone line too! However, there’s no way
of having only HyppTV as you must have an internet connection plan with
Streamyx to have access to HyppTV.

As both Streamyx and Unifi
offer HyppTV; it offers to the kind of service that you want. Both Unifi and
Streamyx are broadband services, each with various packages deal. To have
access to HyppTV for Streamyx for an example, it would be greatly advised to go
for the 8Mbps package for RM160 a month, as it comes with the 17 HyppTV basic
channels. However, there is a 4Mbps at RM140 package, but you won’t get the
channels until you add on one of their packages ranging from RM30-RM50.

All Unifi subscriptions come
with HyppTV, so if you’re searching for cheaper package it would be the VIP5 that
cost RM149.00. If you want to add more channels, you will have to select a
package which cost between RM30-RM50.

ABNxcess

Sources: Courtesy of
ABN Xcess

Presently, ABNxcess is the
only digital cable television operator in Malaysia, and was recently launched
back in June 2013. Consider fairly new, it currently claims as Malaysia’s most reasonable
price internet + TV package. However, it doesn't come with a phone line though.

If you just want the digital TV
service alone, you already start with RM29.99 monthly which is consider absolutely
affordable. It basic internet of 5 Mbps with 50 TV channels would cost RM69.99
while if you want the 10Mbps with your 50 TV channels, that will cost you
RM98.99, but remember, this is only applicable during the promotion period as
the usual price would be RM129.00.

So
who wins in the Battle of the Pay TV Providers?

Pay TV packages in Malaysia
are complicated business. Information isn't readily accessible on websites as
most packages are highly customisable depending on the channels you select however
we try to get you answers anyway.

If you’re a basic TV package
and aren't into extreme sports; super new movies and marathon episodes of Queen
Divas on TVBE, this is what you can choose to pay for your TV subscription.

Pay TV

Astro

Unifi

ABNxcess

Basic TV package only

RM39.95

N/A

RM29.90

Basic TV + Internet package
only

RM187.95

N/A

RM69.99

Basic TV + Internet + Phone
line package only

RM207.95

RM149.00

N/A

*All prices may include tax.

We may say Astro remains
pretty costly, while Unifi and ABNxcess are inexpensive in their respective
categories. But do they really offer you the entertainment thrill you need? Are
your favourite TV shows on the package you’ve selected or are you pick it
simply because it’s cheap? Paying a cheap price for a package you don’t want is
even more wasteful than paying more for something you’ll truly enjoy so make
the decision based on your interests. At the same time if you are an internet
junkie, then get the one with a broadband connection included. Packages are
customisable for a reason.

Unquestionable, value is
relative and you’ll only know this if you’re subscribed to the right channels
so get the right channels for you. The pay TV industry in Malaysia is set to expand
even more based on the way things are looking right now. Competition will influence
prices but so will your choices. In the end, as with anything you choose; make
sure it’s within your means. It’s futile being up to date with having most
channels and expensive subscription if you can’t even pay the mortgage.